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Sebastien Bourdais

The only thing more ambitious than Lotus and its expansive new product plan is the company's racing program. In the span of just a few years, the British automaker has launched forays into Formula One, IndyCar, endurance sportscar racing and even karting, all with its own factory-backed works initiatives. And in true Lotus style, it's not showing any signs of slowing down any time soon.

It's been a while since we've heard anything about Sebastien Bourdais. The French driver took the Champ Car title four years running, but when the call came to move up to F1 courtesy of Scuderia Toro Rosso, Bourdais suffered a disappointing stint, prompting his mid-season replacement with rookie driver Jaime Alguersuari.

Sebastien Bourdais may not have made a go of it in Formula One, but after winning the Champ Car World Series four years in a row and coming in second at Le Mans two years running, the Le Mans native clearly has plenty to offer. Between the lower formulas, touring cars, sports car racing and countless other forms of motorsport, there's probably more options for a failed F1 driver today than there ever has been before. So where did the French driver end up? Superleague Formula.

The rules of text messaging seem to keep on sliding to the point where what was once unacceptable is now common practice - but there's got to be a line drawn somewhere. Take Sebastien Bourdais, for example, who claims that he was fired via SMS.

Sour grapes much? Both of Italy's Formula One teams had to switch drivers mid-season during the year: Scuderia Toro Rosso (because Sebastien Bourdais wasn't working out) and Scuderia Ferrari (due to Felipe Massa injury). However, due to the comprehensive ban on in-season testing, neither could put their replacements into the cockpits of their F1 cars until the following grand prix weekend. So STR's newcomer Jaime Alguersuari was thrown straight into the deep end to sink or swim, while Ferrari, f

Those who bemoan modern Formula One settling its rivalries in the courtroom instead of on the race track have another set of examples to bring up at the pub as news emerges of the settlement of two lawsuits related to the top-tier racing series have emerged over the course of the weekend.

It's official, Ladies and Gentlemen: Sebastien Bourdais' career in Formula One is finished. In his place will be the youngest driver ever to race in F1, Spanish pilot Jamie Alguersuari. Scuderia Toro Rosso, out from whose cockpit Bourdais has evidently climbed for the last time and which Alguersuari will now call home, says it's taking the opportunity to promote one of its top protégés and doesn't expect the young Spaniard to begin yielding results immediately – especially si

Those pulling for Sebastien Bourdais will undoubtedly be disappointed by the latest reports emanating from the Formula One paddock. After winning the now-defunct Champ Car title four times in a row, the French driver switched to Formula One with Scuderia Toro Rosso last season, but while his team-mate Sebastian Vettel scored race wins, Bourdais never managed to do better than a couple of seventh-place finishes. Now, after his third early retirement this season at the German Grand Prix this past

With fellow Red Bull protégé Scott Speed back in stock cars and the USF1 initiative still at least a year away, the closest Americans have to representation in Formula One is Sebastien Bourdais. Sure, he's French, but after dominating Champ Cars for several years on this side of the Atlantic we can almost claim him as our own. Having won four successive titles in Champ Cars, Bourdais had nothing left to prove in the United States and signed a European management contract with Nicol

Back when Alain Prost ran an F1 team, after jettisoning engines supplied by Mugen-Honda, it was Peugeot that left Jordan to sign up with Prost. Things didn't go well, and Peugeot jumped ship three years later. But it's possible that Peugeot feels it has some unfinished business in F1. Rumor has it that among the folks snooping around Honda's F1 operations is PSA, the parent company of Peugeot/Citroen. Supposedly not as hurt by the downturn as its rivals, and with F1 cost cutting in extra strengt